A significant challenge in the design and fabrication of microelectronic devices such as inductors, including inductors utilized for power delivery, is that such devices are large and therefore difficult to incorporate onto a package or silicon die. Potential designs that may be operated at lower frequencies for power delivery require higher inductance values, thus generally require the use of magnetic material to enable the needed inductor operation.
A related issue is that on-die integrated inductors for power delivery at high current levels can require two levels of magnetic material, above and below the conductors of the inductor element, in order to maintain low DC resistance. However, the magnetic material required for integrated inductors is relatively thick and needs to be laminated in fabrication, and thus the fabrication of such inductors, utilizing, for example, high-vacuum sputter deposition or electroplating, requires long deposition times utilizing expensive deposition equipment.